Quinn
by NobodyKnows101
Summary: (Update-weekly) Quinn is stuck in a dangerous situation when he is last one in his squad, stranded on an alien planet inhabbited by yautja (Predators). He comes in contact with one and is surprised that its goal wasnt to kill him... yet. But to first gain information that the Yautja think only humans have. (MHuman/FPredator)
1. Chapter One- Hunted

**This is my first ever story, so give me time and go easy on me haha. I do not own the rights to the Predator series or anything affiliated, the only thing I take credit for is the characters and story plot. Ok? Ok.. enjoy (future lemon btw, so beware).**

'The Hunted'

The marine lay there prone, awaiting what happens next. Quinn, the "tough", muscular, six foot, brunette he was- shook vigorously. Sweat dropped down his helmeted forehead, fell past his eye and onto the dry powdery dirt that surrounded him. The time passing made his predicament seem all much worse, the metaphorical ticking sounded in his head. He decided to pull his upper body up slightly to pear over the tree he'd been lying behind to see where his enemy had gone... that was a big mistake, as soon as his head became visible to the space in front of the tree he heard a harsh clicking from only god knows where in front of him. Quinn sank back down as quick as he could, but he knew his position was already compromised. In a heart pounding moment of terror, he jumped upwards, turned and began to run as fast as he could, kicking up bronze dust behind him. He attempted to use the scattered trees as a way of blocking him self from the monsters line of sight, weaving in front of them as he ran. The soldier couldn't tell wether or not it was actually following him, as the only thing he could here was his hard breathing and boots as they hit the ground, but he of course would rather be safe than sorry and continued moving as fast as he could. Quinn quickly removed his helmet and threw it into the woods, as he was getting way to hot and needed to be as light as he could. He looked behind himself breefly to check for his pursuer, he saw nothing but forest for what seemed like forever moving away from him as he sprinted onward. **THUMP.** Not paying attention even for that short moment had been a dangerous mistake. Blood trickled down from the solid tree he'd just slammed his head into, and Quinn, lied at its feet with a large cut down the middle of his forehead from the sharp branch that jutted outward. Blood slowly gushed from the wound and he was as good as dead... or so it seemed- As the hunter was directly behind him the entire time, cloaked from the humans miserable sight. The tall figure stood above Quinn menacingly, it's large metal mask, grey, as if solid iron peered down at him. It let out another clicking sound as it began to unravel what seemed like gauze from its sactual like bag. It bent down over him and wrapped it tightly around his forehead wound and put it away. The predator tapped on its wrist device and scanned the marine, letting out an agitated grunt. It picked Quinn up and started walking off deeper into these never ending forests...

 **And that's the end to a pretty short chapter one. Seeming as I'm new, anyone who knows what they're talking about, feel free to give me some writing tips lol. And generally, I'd really like everyone's input. Thanks! *new chapter once a week!***


	2. Chapter Two- Awake

**Chapter 2! These chapters will arrive every week, with school and all that, these chapters will take some time. But trust me when I say they'll be much longer than the first one lol. So, enjoy!**

 **'Awake'**

Quinns eyes bolted open and he gasped as if he hadn't been able to breathe. He surveyed the room he'd found himself in diligently; it was a small concrete room, dimly lit from a single light found by the door that presumably led out. There was a wooden table directly to the right of him with what looked like simple first aid equipment strode about.

Under that was a small door that was flesh with the floor and of similar color- he made a mental note. Quinn himself, was sitting on a wooden chair.

The marine didn't know how he had gotten to this strange location, he couldn't remember anything of recent events. His skull pounded as he quickly stood up from the seat. He fell back down onto it and grabbed his head, feeling a strange texture plastered across his forehead. It felt like cloth and without a way of looking at it, didn't want to risk peeling it off.

Quinn grabbed the arm rests of the chair and slowly lifted himself up. This time successful, however nauseous and unbalanced. Slowly, he made his way towards the lit door on the far left wall. He reached for the door knob and turned it slowly, hearing the locking mechanism click as he did so. Gently, it opened.

Meeting him on the other side of the door was dirt covered steps leading up to a somewhat dark room it seemed, with dancing shadows thrown around by what Quinn assumed was a fire. He groaned as he forced himself up the stairs, stumbling and swaying as he went.

Finally reaching the top, he was met with a cozy looking setting, a hatched dome like structure, enforced by large tree trunks coming from the floor to the ceiling. On the right was the fire he rightly assumed was there, it warmed the room magnificently and along the walls of the dome we're hanging pelts and blankets.

Quinn dragged his feet across the dirt floor and ploped himself down beside the fire, sighing in relief. Tucking his knees close to his chest, he closed his eyes and looked up slightly, trying to think. The last thing he remembers was him and his squad of marines inside there shuttle, drifting through dark space on a journey to a location he couldn't quite remember... to seize a colonial outpost? To investigate another teams disappearance? He just couldn't remember. All he knew was that he was greatly injured, and was taken to a strange place he'd never been- Not much to go on...

He let out a loud yawn, a feeling of exhaustion swept over him. That is until he heard the sound of shuffling coming from the opposite side of the room. It was far to dark for him to tell what was there, but he could just make out the dark shape a cot and a huge figure laying upon it. Quinn stayed quiet, praying he didn't accidentally wake whatever lifeform was there. Rather than staying put though, he wanted to know where he was, and if he could escape- something in his mind told him he didn't want to meet his kidnapper...

Quinn quietly stood up, and made sure to lift his feet as he walked, as not to make noise by dragging them across the dirt. He made his way to the only other door besides the one he already came out of. He pushed them open and was met with some resistance, so the marine pushed harder. A gust of freezing air blew into the hut, it made him stumble back slightly as it whistled loudly in. Flakes of snow quickly began to coat the inside perimeter around him. As for outside, the snow was piled up high for as far as he could see, albeit, it wasn't far due to the density and darkness that enveloped the air. At this point, Quinn knew there was no way in hell he could escape tonight, the thin cloth that was his grey jump suit was not in any form compensating for this sort of weather. He pulled the doors shut, and quickly the room was filled with warmth yet again. He sighed and turned around. Taking a step forward, but something blocked his path, he slamed his head against an invisible object.

He was momentarily confused before he began to step back, clumsily falling back against the door. Shimmering into view was a eight foot tall beast. Horror plastered on his face, and he threw his arms up in defense.

"Ooman..." The snarling voice pronounced menacingly.

Quinn lowered his arms, and peared up at the hulking creature. It's seemingly glowing yellow eyes starring straight into his. It reached down and grabbed Quinn by the collar of his suit and walked him back near the fire place. He struggled in its grasp, but he was no match for its strength.

He was tossed down against the wall, hitting the back of his head. Groaning in pain, the predator made a long clicking noises in rapid succession/ as if laughing at him.

Quinn didn't take his eyes off the creature for a second, as fearful as he was, he was prepared to make a move if necessary.

"What do you want from me"? He shakily asked.

It bent down next to him and pulled out a chain from , wrapping it around a nearby beam and then tying it around his neck as best it could. What sounded like an annoyed sigh came from its throat.

"Sleep" It said in a more light tone as it began to walk away back to its cot.

Quinn took the time to examine his capturer as it walked away. They were wearing black cloth around there chest and around there waist. The look of the outfit made it clear this was something "home made", in its tribal/ natural look. This left much of there skin uncovered however, an array of browns, greys, and blacks speckled it's body brilliantly. Something about it's look seemed strange however. Having come into the Yautja before, Quinn noticed how much taller this one was, and 'curvier' compared to the usual boxy frame others had. Perhaps a female? That would make this an unusual sight. What was even more unusual though was the fact that this Yautja was here on its lonesome, rather than a group like you'd typically find. He thought it'd be a good time to get some actual rest. He glanced at the predator on the other side of the room, it seemed to have rolled over. That made him feel better, not having a killing machine starting him down as he slept. Quinn lay horizontal to the fire and slowly drifted off the sleep.

 **9:00 AM- next morning...**

Quinn is awoken by the clanging of a metal chain, more specifically the one around his neck. He opens his eyes to see the Yautja undoing it from the beam he had been tied to the night before. He doesn't make a sound as they work on it. Eventually they make there way to Quinn. He glances nervously at the creature as it stand above him.

Holding on to his chain, the Yautja yanks him upwards abruptly, and undoes the chain around his neck now. Yautja leans in close to him and growls, as if to show dominance over the 'puny human' that is Quinn. He looked at them with a furrowed brow, as nervous as he was, he didn't want to show it- in spite of the predator. It clicks its mandables before straightening its posture to full height.

It turned around and walked to the door to the odd basement room he had been in when he first woke up. The door swung open and the Yautja waved its arm, telling him to follow it down, and he did so, staying multiple feet behind however.

 **And that wraps up chapter two! I hope this ones better than the previous. As I write these they'll end getting longer I promise. But I feel this is a significant improvement! Also, next chapter will be focused on building character and personality a bit more, as these first two were really more about the complication and setting than char. development. Again, chapters will come out once a week (maybe more, depends on work load outside of writing lol) That's all! Remember to leave a review! Bye.**


	3. Chapter Three- Getting Along?

**Enjoy chapter three!**

 **'Ooman, meet Yautja. Yautja, meet Ooman'**

The Yautja entered the concrete room and picked up the wooden chair Quinn found himself in only a day ago. It positioned it on the opposite end of the table and motioned for him to sit down. He did as he was asked, though cautiously. As he pulled himself close to the table, the predator eyed him, unblinkingly. His own eyes shifted upwards to meet theres.

"How does your head feel, Ooman"? They asked. He felt as if the question was asked in a spiteful tone, but he couldn't be sure.

"Better... I assume you did this". Quinn ran his hand over the bandages on his forehead.

"Your welcome". It said, crossing its arms.

Quinn hadn't conversed with a Yautja quite like this before, to hear one speak his language and show any kind of emotion besides the 'I'm going to tear your spine from the rest of your body' kinda one, which he was so accustomed to from them. This fact had made the situation he was in all the more confusing, as far as he was concerned, he should've been dead almost a day and a half ago. He had recently come to the conclusion that this creature was also the reason for his lack of recent memory. He folded his hands on the table.

"Normally you bastards would have killed me as soon as you had the chance. Why haven't you"? He questioned.

The Yautja clicked it mandables, perhaps chuckling at him. It began tapping on its wrist device. He heard a series of beeps come from it before it began projecting an image onto the middle of the table. Quinn starred at it, studying the red tinted hologram of a planet. Odd symbols in the same red flashed rapidly, changing into different symbols to the side of the rotating planet.

"Is this where we are"? Quinn asked. He felt like he should know the answer already, he felt like he should know why he was here to begin with, but he didn't.

"Yes.. You do not recognize it"? The predator cocked it's head to the side.

Quinn sighed and shook his head. The Yautja swiped a hand over there wrist and turned off the hologram. It began to walk around the wooden table towards him.

"Your injury. It must be worse than I thought. I must replace your bandages Ooman". It reached him and leaned against the table. There was a short moment of silence between the two beings.

"Quinn". He spoke

"Quinn"? It repeated

"That's my name. And thank you.. for patching me up, I mean". He said, somewhat awkwardly.

The Yautja snarled in response as it began to undo the bandages from around his forehead. He looked the creature over again, now that they were close. It had quite a spectacular pattern, consisting mostly of a dark brown speckles and a sandy brown base color. Similar to the night before, they kept on there black top and loincloth. He moved his attention to its eyes, peering up at it as it treated his head wound.

"So. Are you gonna tell me your name"? Quinn asked. He heard a quiet growl rise from its throat.

"Paya. Now be quiet".

Quinn could hear the irritation in Payas voice. But he couldn't help himself.

"You seem much larger than other Yautja I've... "met", er, encountered". He voiced

"Ow"! Quinn felt a sharp pain shoot through the back of his neck. He craned his neck slightly to see Paya removing her clawed hand.

"Enough questions Ooman... If you must know, I'm a female... We are larger. stronger than our male counterpart". She explained

"I figured as much. I've never seen a predator with such curves". Quinn snickered at the clearly annoyed monster. You know, the one that could tear him limb from limb.

"Tread lightly Ooman. I won't need you for long". She growled. The scary part was he couldn't tell if she was kidding or not... probably not.

"You haven't explained what you need me alive for exactly". Quinn said

"My people have discovered what we believe to be the birthplace of the r'ka, on a nearby planet. We have however found that Oomans have already been there, have been inside the 'engineer' ship, crashed there. An old foe. We cannot get inside, and we suspect that taking one of you may hold the answer to our... ailment. I believe you Oomans call it 'Paradise', the planet". She scoffs at the word paradise.

"Far from it". She finishes

"R'ka"? He asks

"Xenomorph, as you say". She confirms

"Ah, anyways. I've heard of the planet. I've heard stories. I knew members of the team personally. But no one has seen them since they arrived on that god forsaken planet. We did get manually sent pictures back before they went silent though. Both prior and during the apparent incident. I would be able to access the archives for some information that may or may not be useful, if I were back on my ship that is. But given I just figured out what planet I'm on, there's no way in hell I can find my ship myself". Quinn explained

Paya presses her palm into his forehead, flattening the bandage to his skin. Quinn looked at her and smirked.

"Thank you".

"Your welcome..".

Quinn hopped out of the wood chair as Paya gathered the materials she used. He ran his hands through his oily hair and cringed slightly. He was in bad shape, and in dire need for a shower. But more than anything right now, he wanted to get out of this smoky, dimly lit hut.

"Do you mind if I step outside"? He asked

"Just don't run. Otherwise, I. will. kill you". She growled

He knew better than to run. Just last night, it was snowing hard. It must be at least a foot high now. Quinn opened the door and left Paya to her own business in the concrete bunker.

Quinn was up the steps. He glanced around quickly, and noticed the fire was nothing but embers now. He opened the door to the outside, and his assumption was proven correct as snow collapsed at his feet. The tempature wasn't bad, clouds were sparse and the sun hung high, providing miles of viewing distance. He took a step into the snow and then another, it felt great to finally have the sun shine onto his skin. That and the cool air was heavenly. Quinn examined the valley that sprawled out in front of him. It was snow covered, trees spotted the whiteness in spectacular patches of green, and down the vertex of the meeting mountainous slopes was a river that seemed to stretch on forever. It was a refreshing sight compared to the weeks of space he was exposed to on his way to this place, whatever this place was.

Quinn found an uncovered stone that jetted outward off a ledge only a few yards from the hut. He sat and closed his eyes, relaxing. _Wish home was more like this-_ he thought to himself. But he knew that this calm moment was just a short one, and that eventually, he would have to escape. Or actually help Paya. He made a mental note to ask her about the motives of her people and there desperateness to get what's inside the downed engineer ship. Really, there were lots more questions to be asked, and answered.

"Ooman". A familiar voice said behind him

"Hi". Quinn responses, looking back at her

"Aren't you cold"? He questioned, seeing she was still wearing what humans would consider 'practically nothing'.

She snickered at his words.

"Not at all. We're much tougher than you delicate little creatures". She boasted

"Okay... did you actually need something"? He asked, annoyed

"We need to search for your ship. I was only given so much time to look for answers".

"How about tomorrow morning? I'm exhausted. And hungry. Starving really. And thirsty...". He realized how long it's been since he's seen any form of sustenance

"We eat when it's time, the sun is still far to hig

Paya was cut off by a ball of snow hitting her across the face.

"What the pauk do you think your doing"?! Paya roared at him angrily

Quinn sat there trying not to laugh. But moments later was scrambling to move away from the ledge as she tried tackling him.

"It was a snowball! Calm down, Paya! Fuck"! He continued to run from the pissed off killing machine.

Paya slid and fell on a patch of ice, giving Quinn enough time to hide. His spot was a large rock, big enough to hide himself from her site. He heard a clicking.

"You can not hide from me Ooman. You'll regret what you've done". She said, oddly calm. This reassured him she was actually playing along.

The ridiculous circumstance he found himself in was becoming hard not to laugh at. Suddenly, a roar came from above him, he looked up and saw the eight foot Yautja falling down on top of him from a tree that hung there.

"Got you". She growled, pinning Quinn to the snow covered ground

"What do you plan on doing"? Quinn smiled nervously

Payas mandibles flared. She then pushed herself off him. Quinn laughed.

"Get up. I will prepare food. You need to get dry". She says, walking away

 **And that is chapter three! I wanted to focus a bit on building there relationship. I feel I did a good job doing so, in a way that even seemed somewhat "natural". Please leave a review! I'd love to know what you think! Till next time! (Had a long weekend so I was able to punch out a chapter before next week after all :D)**


	4. Chapter Four- Travel

**Enjoy chapter four! Enjoy!**

 **'Travel'**

Quinn awoke to the chirping of birds outside. He sat up from the floor and rubbed his eyes. The sound of shuffling came from behind a drawn curtain on the opposite side of the room. It was Paya, probably getting changed for there long and likely tedious adventure to find his lost ship.

He lay back down for a moment, enjoying the feeling of the soft pelt against his skin. Though this moment was cut short.

"Up, Quinn". He heard a voice behind the curtain

"Alright, alright". Quinn sighed standing up and stretching. He was wearing nothing but a make shift towel wrapped around his waist, as he had taken off his jump suit to hang above the fire to dry after yesterdays incident. He grabbed it from its place on the wall, it was warm and dry, as if just getting out of the wash.

The curtain opened as he finished zipping up. Paya was fully armored, no longer was she wearing tribal cloth. She was metal clad, and wore the infamous fish net body suit underneath. Her plasma caster sat facing down, and her wrist blades situated wear you'd expect. All that was missing was the mask, which she held in her hand.

"A bit over-kill don't you think. There are only other Yautja on this planet right"? He asked. She laughed

"Dangerous animals plague these mountains Ooman. There are also plenty of unfriendly".

He sighed. that wasn't exactly what he wanted to hear, seeing as he was bare of weaponry.

"Wait here, I have some things for you".

She walked away, down the steps. Soon returning with human guns and marine armour. They must have been his, taken away when she captured him. Quinn quickly strapped on the various peices of gear.

"I gotta ask, do you have a plan for finding my ship"? He asked, loading his gun

She nodded.

"The same way I knew you entered. Ooman ships use nuclear engines, all I must do is scan for abnormal levels of radiation. We will start searching close to the place I found you". She explained. Quinn reckoned it was as good a plan as any.

Paya made her way to the door and pushed it open. They began there long hike to the bottom of the valley, where she had found him just five days ago. They walked side by side down through the snowy forest.

"So is there a reason you chose me to help"? He asked curiously

"I killed each of you off, and planned to use whoever was left at the end". She responded blankly, still facing forward

Quinn looked down at his feet. With all of the getting along thats been happening, he'd forgot one thing, that she was still the enemy. This statement reminded him of that, how she felt no remorse for her actions what so ever.

"What is it you plan on finding in the craft on 'Paradise' anyways"?

"Well, that's what we're trying to figure out Ooman. Though, If I were to guess, it is probably a giant nest. And if that is the case, they will probably destroy it. But no matter, we will both know soon enough what lies inside". She finishes

"Yeah... no one else but the crew of the Covenant knows supposedly, and we haven't heard from them in months. So it'll be eye opening to both races once you get in there", he responded

There was silence between the two for a while. Nothing but the crunching of snow under there feet, and the birds fluttering about around them. But that wasn't the only thing Quinn heard. Far in the distance was a loud murring sound, as if coming from some sort of vehicle. Quinn started to open his mouth but was stopped before he could say anything by Payas finger.

"I hear it".

Suddenly a ship came into sight through the trees, traveling low. It slowly got closer and began to lose even more altitude.

"It's going to land... What should we do"? Quinn asked frantically, readying his gun.

The ship was now directly above them, the large box-like shuttle slowly lowered above them, causing the trees to sway and snow to be thrown about. Paya grabbed him by the arm and pulled him aside. She quickly twisted his arms behind his back and tied his hands together. She took his weapon and sling it over her back

"Just go along with it Ooman". She growled into his ear

"We can't just kill these guys"? He grunted

"Not if we don't have to, but its best not to draw suspicion". She whispered into his ear

The shuttle landed with a thud, and a door on the side slid open. Two Yautja walked out fully dressed in hunter gear. They both staired Quinn down as they walked over to Paya. The two were clearly male, being much shorter and generally broader in appearance. Paya began to talk to the other Yautja in an indistinguishable language, what he did understand though was her growing impatience.

"Ooman! Behave yourself". One of the predators said, peering at Quinn, clicking its mandables

The two turned and entered the craft again, Paya followed them though, pulling Quinn along. He was confused, looking up at her.

"They're going to help us find your ship". She informed him

He walked over to the the row of seats that lined the walls and sat down at the one closest to the cockpit. Paya sat next to him her hand still firmly grasping his arm. He was extremely uncomfortable stuck with his hands behind his back.

"They think your my prisoner, so your staying tied up till we get off". She whispered to him, noticing his obvious uncomfort.

"Well, I am technically your prisoner". He pointed out

"Yes, but we both know there's no reason to tie you up. You'd barely make it down the mountain". Her mandables flared playfully. Quinn smirked at her joke.

"I'm going to talk with the pilots. Stay put".

Quinn nodded. He figured that he'd take this time to take a nap, seeing as there wasn't much he could do. With his eyes closed he thought about his near future. Would Paya actually kill him, after all is done? He knew little about Yautja society, but he did know it was based on honor and respect to some degree. Perhaps he'd be set free after all. Only time would tell. Quinn leaned against the side of the seat and drifted off into a light sleep.

 **...Time Passes...**

"Ooman. Wake up". An ominous voice echoed through the dark void that engulfed his vision. He looked around panicked, the voice came from ever direction. His head pounded and flashes of marines appeared in front of him. They were torn apart, completely dead. These images were short and his frantic-ness left him with little thought process to form any kind of conclusion or connection.

"Quinn. Wake up". The same voice came again. He tried moving his arms around, to feel for something- anything, but he couldn't move them. He was frightened. He felt sweat drip down his face.

But then he remembered, sudden blurred lights came into site and Quinn's eyes opened widely. In front of him was Paya, and they were still on the shuttle, sweat continue to roll off his face, some seeping into the bandages that covered his forehead. A look of bewilderment was stuck on his face.

"Are you alright, Quinn"? Asked Paya, slightly snapping him out of his trance.

The ship shook lightly, hitting short turbulence. The red light that illuminated from the walls on either side of the ship glared directly into his retina, but he remained unblinking. Quinn swallowed, looked at Paya and nodded.

"Just..-just a nightmare". Responding shakily. He swore he heard the two Yautja in the front snicker.

"How long was I asleep"?

"Fourty five-ish minutes. You looked ill, so I thought I'd wake you".

Quinn felt a slight resentment toward her, Everything was hazy though, and he couldn't exactly place his finger on why.

"Have you found anything yet"? Quinn finally spoke

"We should be landing any moment to check out a site". Paya responded. Her voice seemed distant.

The ship came to a stop and began to descend, and the red light strobed slowly. The two pilots in the front also informed Paya and Quinn. Finally landed, the doors of the shuttle slid open and they were greeted with a downpour of rain and gusting winds. Quinn took a step out into the mud and looked towards the front of the shuttle, behind a grove of trees was the dark silhouette of a large craft. The shape was very familiar, the sight made him feel a sort of happiness.

He began walking to it, waving back at the Yautja who had helped them. He was anxious and ready to get back on his vessel after a week of forgotten suffering and almost another with a predator. Paya followed moments later, thanking there pilots properly. The shuttle took off and left them in the rain, She ran up next to him.

"This is it"? She spoke loudly over the wind

He didnt respond. Quinn walked to the back and placed his hand on the wet, cold metal of the ship. It revved loudly and lights turned on all over the outside, making it much easier to see its slick form.

The ship was white, sleek in design, like and arrow layed flat. Two large wings jetted out of either side of it with wurring engines on the ends. It was monstrous in size.

A hiss sounded from the door, and it lowered down into a ramp which aloud them to walk inside.

"Welcome to the USCSS Apex". He finally says

Quinn grined as he's met with the oh so familiar innards of the Apex. Lots of memories were made here, having been stuck with his six crew mates for months, although it felt empty without them. The room they were in was more of a really wide hallway, that extended up by an equally wide staircase that led into a living area, beyond that was a single door. Likely to the cockpit. The ship was certainly spacious.

"Very nice". Paya ogled

"Thanks". He smiled

"Now. How about we get dry".

Quinn walked down the hallway, Paya followed. He opened the last door to the right and the two entered. Inside was a nice sized bedroom with a mattress in the corner, television, and other basic amenities. The mattress was a king, but he wasn't sure if it'd fit Paya. They'd work that out later he thought.

"Are you ok with this"? Quinn asked

"Yes. Thank you Ooman". She 'smiled' warmely

"We'll get to work tomorrow. For now, I'll make some food. Alrighty"?

Paya nodded in response and closed the door once Quinn walked out. She pulled out another outfit out of her satchel. It was similar to the tribal get up Quinn had seen her wearing the night he woke up, except in a green colour. She took off her wet armour and put it in the opposite corner of her room next to a fire place. It looked artificial but she assumed it would generate enough heat to dry them. There came a knock from outside her room.

"Yes Ooman"? She spoke through the door

"Thought maybe you'd want a towel". Quinn offered

She put opened the door slightly so that he couldn't see her nude body. She peaked from behind the door, stuck her arm out grabbing the towel from him, and clicked her mandables in thanks. She could hear him sigh behind the door. Why?

 **...Time Passes...**

Quinn was in the large living area. Much like an open style house, there was a TV with a L shaped 'couch' facing it. On the opposite wall there was a moderate sized kitchen. This is where Quinn was. He had found chicken in the fridge and decided to make it.

"What is that smell"? He heard Paya ask behind him

"Chicken. Sit wherever, I'll be done soon".

She walked over to the couch and sat. It was very soft and cushiony, a comfort she wasn't exactly used to.

Sitting next to her on the couch was a remote, she began to press some of the buttons.

"Here". Quinn handed her a plate and fork. He walked around the couch and sits, some distance away with his own plate of food.

"Thank you... Are you upset with me"? Finally, she asked him. She's noticed an obvious change in his adittude towards her and she plans to find out why.

Quinn sat silent and prodded at his food, not sure what to say. Because as true as it was, he couldn't understand the reason why.

"I don't know. I don't want to talk about right now... Could you hand me the remote".

Paya quietly leaned over and handed him the odd device. She watched as he flipped through 'film'. Something was obviously ailing him.

They sat in silence.

 **0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000**

 **That's the end! A new conflict, yay! As you read, he's slowly regaining forgotten emotions, rather emotions involved with certain memorys that he hasn't figured out yet. This will develope of course. Chapter five comes next week. I hope you enjoyed, and don't forget to leave a review/criticism. Thanks!**


	5. Chapter Five- Differences

**Welcome to chapter 5. I've updated the description of the story, mainly because I've decided to change to direction of the story a bit. Enjoy!**

 **'Differences'**

Quinn woke up well rested. He looked around expecting to be laying on a dirt floor, like so many days he had. He rubbed his eyes and swung his legs over the edge of his bed. 

' _What time is it?'_

The clock read eleven. He had slept through most of the morning. Already wearing some boxers, he through on a t-shirt and walked out his room. 

It was quiet on board the ship. All that sounded was the quiet, yet pleasant murring of the engines. Paya was usually up at the crack of dawn, but she was nowhere to be found. Quinn walked down the ship a bit and opened the door to her room slightly. Inside was Paya, sleeping still. He closed the door and yawned. In the kitchen he kept coffee somewhere, and he was dying for a cup. 

With coffee in hand, he decided to get to work before she woke up on finding some of those messages sent by the Covenant. These messages were received by all 'Weyland' vessels, likely as an SOS. His ship was not made by Weyland Corp. however. But they hired his team every so often to do larger operations. The Apex was a long distance cruiser. Him and his team were stationed on it for discovery purposes typically, unless otherwise stated. He was meant to find lush, lively planets and take samples of the flora and fauna. These samples would be used for cataloguing or be looked at for medical applications. In the cargo hold must have been thousands of different things from multiple planets. Other times though, they'd be hired to set up small colonies. That is if the planet was habitable. And mark it for later use. That or really a multitude of other tasks, his team was prepared for anything they might have to do besides battle. The only weapons they had on board were there rifles. 

His ship was outfitted with Weyland tech though. So the signal likely recognized it as such.

Quinn walked into another room along the massive hallway. Inside was a large desk with a monitor sitting on top of it. He sat down in an office chair and pulled himself up to the table. A desktop flashed on to the screen. Opening up his mail, he was shocked to find five new messages. One from home base (located in earths solar system) and another from.. one of his squad mates? The name read Jeremy. Since he woke up in that basement, he suspected that they all died. Quinn clicked on one of the four messages sent by Jeremy. This one was five days old. A day after Quinn was taken by Paya.

' _I don't know if your getting this, I don't even know if any of you are alive. But if, by some miracle you are, I need help. I've made it back to our ship but I can't get in. I don't know how long I can last out here with those monsters... make your way back if you can._

 _\- J'_

Quinn felt a wave of relief wash over of him. Maybe he wasn't the only one who survived after all? He skipped the next two and clicked on the most recent message.

' _CapturedDon't have much ti'_

Following below the message was a series of numbers. Quinn knew what he needed to do. And he doubted Paya would go along with it, but it's worth a try. 

She wasn't up yet and didn't want to wake her, so he took a breathe and calmed his nerves. He ran his hand through his hair, and calmed his frantic thoughts.

 _Covenant messages_

Quinn reminded himself. He scrolled through the countless alerts before he found the ones that were marked red. He clicked on one of them and was met with a series of error codes and security alerts. At the very bottom was a set of coordinates. He saved the message so that he could find it easier later.

Quinn clicked on the second one, inside were pictures, dozens of them. Most were distorted and blurry, as if someone was running when they took them. The camera that had taken them was clearly damaged, leaving some sort of static on each photo. But some were discernible. 

"What are you looking at"? He heard Paya ask behind him

Quinn waved his hand toward himself. She leaned against table and looked at the screen with him. He heard her mandables click as the two studied them quietly.

"Is this it? There nothing but poorly taken images"! Paya voiced

He brushed aside her comment and continued to look at the rest.

"Look there". He pointed to one.

This picture was in considerably better condition than the rest. It wasn't of anything special, just a landscape shot, which was admittedly beautiful. But what was interesting, and what Quinn pointed at was a likely massive structure poking out from behind one of the mountains.

"Do you recognize it at all"? Quinn questioned

"No.. is there anything else"? She sighed

Quinn navigated to the first message he opened containing the pair of coordinates. 

"There were these, but that's all we got". 

"One of them is the coordinate for the planet, I remember. I'm not sure about the other". Paya said

"Well it's shorter. It could be a planetary location". Quinn pointed out

"Likely. I want everything to bring back to the elders". She began to 'type' on her wrist device the coordinates on the screen.

"I need the photos as well, transmit them". 

There was a long pause from Quinn. He took this to be an opportunity to ask her for assistance in rescuing his friend. Really, it was blackmail. But he figured she wouldn't even consider it if he didn't.

"No". Quinn shook his head

Paya turned her head to Quinn furiously.

"And why not Ooman"? She growled, impatient 

"I need your help first. One of my team mates have been captured by a tribe. Nearby I think. I was sent coordinates for somewhere on this planet". He explained

"I can't do that Quinn".

"Why the hell not"? He suddenly became furious

"They are not my property. I did not catch them. That and the closest village is independent, I have no authority over them... I would get in lots of trouble, and on top of that, break my peoples code of honor".

Quinn was annoyed by her hypocrisy. He had helped her! He didn't even know what these Yautjas plans were if they got what they wanted. Hell, he didn't know what they were expecting to find, humans outside of the Covenant didn't even know! It could be anything. Likely deadly, and dangerous, whatever it is. And he just handed it right to her. Albeit for his life. 

_The least she could do is repay the favor?_

"You don't think me sharing this with you isn't illegal? I could get court marshaled if any one found out! Please Paya. This person means a lot to me". He practically begged

"But no one will find out. How could they". Paya said quietly

She paused for a moment, as if gathering her thoughts.

"I'm sorry. No. Your help is no longer needed. With or without the pictures, I have what I really need". She clicked her mandables. Quinn noticed her furrowed brow

"Is that a threat? After all this, your threatening to kill me"! He raised his voice, not quite a yell

"Kill you... Ill be honest Ooman, you've grown on me. I plan to leave you be. But no Quinn, I can't help. I refuse to betray my brothers and sisters, and my way of life". Paya glanced down slightly, as if saddened

Silence filled the room for a few moments as Quinn thought of what to say next. He recognized the yautjas loyalty to her people, this in many ways made him feel guilty for giving away possibly world changing information for his own life. Now was the decision he had to make; let her leave, or try to stop her from returning those coordinates- flushing the selfish feeling he holstered from his chest.

"Then you can leave. Gather your things and get the hell out". He sighed, leaning into his hand

Paya walked to the door slowly and opened it. She turned to say something but was cut off.

"I can't believe I considered you a friend". He spoke the last word quiet

"This was never meant to be anything more than an interrogation! You know that Quinn. You were part of my mission, nothing more! It's not my fault if it turned into something more than that for you". She growled

"Clearly you care enough about me not to kill me. You said it yourself. You do think of it as more than that! Maybe you didn't, but you do now... So as a friend Paya, I'm begging you to help me. There's no way I can do this alone..." he finished

Paya clenched her fist, conflicted. He saw her shake her head very slightly, making her decision mentally. She walked out of the door. He could hear a loud bang down the ship. Moments later the sound of the door opening then closing echoed through the ship.

Quinn put his head in his hands. He was pissed, but not so surprised. He had warned himself multiple times throughout the last few days that something like this would happen. But it wasn't over. As much as he cared about Paya at this point, he couldn't let her leave with those codes. He to had responsibilities.

Quinn slammed his fist into the aluminum table and stood up. He quickly walked into his room, dressed himself in sutable clothing, and grabbed his rifle. The door hissed open and he looked around, he figured that she'd be going back to the hut. 

**...some time passes...**

Quinn stepped quietly but was quick. He hadn't left to far behind Paya. In the distance he saw a figure walking through the trees, that must've been her no doubt. He kept as quiet as he could.

Now within a few feet distance, he decided to take the plunge. Quinn took a breathe, steadying himself. He felt the snow fall and melt on his skin. He began to run at her now, readying his gun.

Paya turned and was shocked to see Quinn running at her, as quick as she was, she wasn't fast enough and was slammed with the butt of his gun into her head.

He panted hard and dropped his gun in the snow beside himself. Paya lay there unmoving. Lucky for Quinn, she hadn't been wearing her bio-mask. He dropped to his knees and checked her neck to make sure he hadn't killed her. He sighed in relief as he felt the steady pulse. 

Now to get what he came for. Quinn grabbed her wrist device and took it off. He didn't know how to work it but that wasn't important, the important thing was that she didn't get these coordinates home. The marine began to shiver in the cold, the snow had melted beneath his legs and was getting them damp. He stood up and looked at Paya one last time, he wasn't worried about her being cold; remembering the first day they met. Quinn opened her satchel and took out the gauze she had used to mend his head. He wrapped it as best he could around the wound she now possessed. 

_Maybe she won't remember this... wishful thinking_

He smirked slightly and stood up. He felt horrible about this, but it was his duty. And as always; as friendly as Paya was, the predators were the enemy. It was time to move on now, he had a friend to rescue. Quinn put her device on his own wrist and made his way back to The Apex.

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 **That's five! In this chapter, I wanted the two characters to establish there sides. An actual conflict. How there missions, responsibilities, and peoples are different, which stops them from any true friendship they could have. While Paya has had this in mind most the time, Quinn was working with the idea that he HAD to survive and that's all, developing noticeable feelings for her. But by the end realized the somewhat selfish and possibly dangerous implications of this. With the sudden change in adittude, he uses Payas vulnerability as an opportunity to 'redeem' himself. His goal not to kill Paya of course, but to stop her from giving away this valuable information. After all, he's a human soldier, and his duty is to protect and help humanity, an idea that had been lost on him until Paya revealed she wasn't going to kill him. This event was meant to illustrate Quinn's major character flaws that will build plot points in the future.**

 **I hope you enjoyed! Any questions? PM me! Other than that, please leave a review and all that! Have a wonderful day!**


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